Roe v. Wade

Roe v. Wade is a landmark decision by the US Supreme Court on the issue of abortion, decided in 1973 with a 7-2 vote. The court argued that the law of privacy applied to abortion rights, allowing for women to decide whether or not they could choose to have an abortion; the Court decided that abortions could protect women's health and protect the potentiality of human life. Many conservative groups, especially the US Republican Party and the conservative wing of the US Democratic Party, are vehemently opposed to abortion, seeing it as unlawfully taking a human life, often using religion and morality to justify their claims. However, liberals and women's rights activists argue that it is a woman's right to choose, and that the government cannot regulate her body. The law led to the issue of abortion becoming a major issue in United States politics, but it was also a step forwards for women in America.